Display apparatus



Dec. 7, 1965 A. L. REUBEN ET AL 3,221,429

DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Aug. 26, 1963 do \6 1:1 I WW L 4 INVENTORS ANTHONY R0550 JOSA'PH FORTE BY ALA/V PEI/867V MEVSM ATTORNEY l 2 l l l United States 3,221,429 Patented Dec. 7, 1965 fire 3,221,429 DISPLAY APPARATUS Alan L. Reuben, Wynnewood, Pa, and Anthony M.

Russo, Palmyra, and Joseph Forte, Riverton, NJ, assignors to Promotional Advertising Associates, Inc., Philadelphia, Pa, a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. 26, 1963, Ser. No. 304,524 8 Claims. (Cl. 40-40) In general, this invention relates to a new and improved display apparatus. More particularly, it relates to the provision of a versatile display device capable of slmple securement to a super market shelf which can support any number of a variety of different types of display cards for advertising the contents of a particular shelf.

In the modern super market, it has become increasingly more difficult to provide fixed displays for informing customers of the particular sales items on a given shelf or in a given section of shelves. This problem is made even more acute by the changing sizes of items and their relative demands in various seasons, and the limited amount of shelving.

Therefore, there is a growing need for display apparatus capable of being placed at any point along the shelf in accordance with the product demands of the items on the shelf. Further, the display apparatus should not take up any of the valuable space on the shelf as every inch of space is valuable.

Still further, the display devices should be versatile so as to be able to carry various types of display cards in accordance with the particular means of advertising which is desired by the super market manager.

Therefore, it is the general object of this invention to avoid and overcome the foregoing and other difficulties of prior art practices by the provision of a new and better display apparatus.

A further object is the provision of a new and inexpensive display apparatus which can be easily moved along the shelf and which will not take up space on the shelf.

A still further object is the provision of a new and better display apparatus which can be utilized to carry different types of display cards in a simple and easy manner.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of new and better display apparatus which can support display cards at right angles to one another.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a new and better display apparatus for supporting display cards in stores which can be supported for variations in the angle of a shelf.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the display apparatus of the present invention mounted on a shelf of the store.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the display apparatus of FIGURE 1 with the display cards removed.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view of the display apparatus of FIGURE 2 taken along lines 33.

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view of display apparatus of FIGURE 2 taken along lines 44.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective showing of a second embodiment of the stand for the display apparatus of the present invention.

In FIGURE 1, there is shown a display apparatus of the present invention generally designated by the numeral 10. The display apparatus is removably mounted on the shelf 12 of a store such as a super market in which the items on the shelf are to be advertised.

The display apparatus 10 includes a vertically extending rod 14 having a square cross section. The rod 14 can be considered generally to have a rectangular cross section which in this specific instance is shown as a square cross section. That is, it is intended to direct the consumers attention in four directions at to one another.

The rod 14 has an upper insert 16 at the top thereof. The rod 14 is hollow and the insert 16 is friction fitted into the upper end 20 of the rod 14.

The upper insert 16 has a cross-shaped cutout portion 18 extending from the upper end of the insert 16 to a point adjacent the upper end 20 of the rod 14. A suitable cross-shaped display card 22 fits within. the cross-shaped opening 13 and is held in fixed position on the rod 14.

Immediately below the upper end 20 of the rod 14 there are provided a pair of upper holes 24 land 25 passing in the same horizontal plane through opposite side walls 3tl and 34 of the rod 14. Displaced in a plane immediately below the plane of holes 24 and 2.5 is a second pair of holes 26 and 23 passing through the other opposite parallel sides 32 and 36 of the rod 14. The holes 24 and 25 may be utilized by placing a stick or dowel therethro-ugh to which are attached display cards. Similarly, the holes 26 and 23 may be utilized by placing a dowel or stick therethrough to which can be attached display cards. Since the holes 24 and 25 are in a different horizontal plane from the holes 23, 26 they will not interfere with one another. Further, since a dowel or stick passing through the holes would be supported in two places, they would have sutficient support so as not to cock or otherwise lose their fixed horizontal position. In this way, display cards placed on such dowels would not lip off due to gravity.

Spaced below the holes 23-26 are a. pair of inverted I-shaped upper display card clamps 38 and 40 secured to side walls 30 and 34 respectively. The inverted J-shaped clamps 33 and 40 are exactly alike and both include a flat portion 42 for securement to their respective walls 39 and 34 by welding or the like. Further, the clamps 38 and 40 each have a channel portion 44 for receiving a display card. It should be noted that the clamps 38 and 40 have a width which is slightly greater than the width of their respective side walls 30 and 34. The clamps 38 and 40 overlap the side walls by a distance equal to their thickness for reasons which will be discussed below.

Spaced substantially below inverted I-shaped clamps 38 and 40 are J-shaped bottom display card clamps 45 and 46 secured to side walls 30 and 34 respectively. J-shaped clamps 45 and 46 are exactly similar to J-shaped clamps 38 and 4h discussed previously. Clamps 38 and 45 are adapted to cooperate with each other so as to hold a display card between their respective channel members 44. Similarly J-shaped clamps 46 and 40 are intended to hold a display card therebetween.

Spaced between upper parallel clamps 38 and 40 and lower parallel clamps 45 and 46 are a pair of upper inverted .l-shaped clamps 48 and 50 secured to side walls 36 and 32 respectively and lower J-shaped clamps 52 and 54 secured to side walls 36 and 32 respectively. I-shaped clamps 48, 5t), 52 and 54 are exactly like J-shaped clamps 38, 40, 45 and 46 discussed previously.

Clamps 43 and 52 hold a display card 56 within their channel-shaped members 44. Similarly, clamps 50 and 54 hold display 53 between their channel shaped members 44-. Display cards 56 and 58 have a restricted central portion 6% and 62 respectively which fit within the respective clamps 48, 52 and 5t], 54.

It should be noted that if display cards were placed between upper display card clamp 38 and lower display card clamp 45, the overlapping edges of clamps 43, 5 1, 52 and 54 along side 36 of rod 14 would prevent the sagging of such a display card in the center thereof. Similarly, a display card placed between clamps 46 and 46 would also have its center supported by the overlapping edges of clamps 48, 5t), 52 and 54 because of their central location. Thus the enlarged J-shaped clamps 36, 4t), 45, 46, 48, St), 52 and 54 in addition to supplying broader clamping support for their respective display cards additionally can be useful in giving support to other cards by their overlapping side edges. In a horizontal plane spaced below clamps 45 and 46 there are provided a second pair of holes 66 and 67 in sides 31 and 34 of rod 14 similar in function to holes 24 and 25 discussed previously. A second pair of holes 62 and 64 are provided in a horizontal plane immediately below that of holes 66 and 67. Holes 62 and 64 are formed in side walls 32 and 36 respectively in a manner similar to holes 26 and 23 discussed previously.

A dowel 68 passes through holes 67 and 66 so as to provide a support for a pair of display cards 72 and 76 folded over the dowel 68 on opposite sides of the rod 14. Because of the horizontal plane of the holes 67 and 66 there need be no rigid securement of the display cards 72 and 76 to the dowell 68.

A similar dowel 70 passes through holes 62 and 64 and has a pair of display cards 74 and 78 placed over opposite ends thereof. Thus, the dowels 68 and 76 with their associated display cards 70, 72, 74 and 76 give advertising matter to persons in every direction. These display cards can be utilized to inform customers of the items on the shelf 12. For example, display cards 76 and 78 will inform customers of the items to the left of the display apparatus on shelf 12 while display cards 78 and 72 will provide information as to the items on the right of display apparatus 10. It should be understood that each of the display cards 70, 72, 74 and 76 have two sides each of which may have different advertising material thereon.

The rod 14 is telescoped into a supporting stand 86 resting on the shelf 12. The stand 86 is hollow, and has a rectangular cross section conforming to the outer surface of the rod 14. Secured to the stand 80 is an inverted U-shaped support 82 having cushioned legs 84 and 86 for giving side support to the stand 80. It should be noted that the stand 80 and rod 14 need little side sup port as the items on the shelf will aid in providing such side support.

The rod 14 is held in place in the stand 80 by a bolt 90 which passes below rod 14 through a channel member 92, and stand 80. The bolt 90 is secured by a wing nut 88, and the parts locked in place by suitable lock washers 93.

The channel member 92 has overturned lip portions 94 and 96 which form a channel Within which is telescoped a bar 98. The bar 98 and channel member 92 are telescoped so that they can support the stand 80 and rod 14 on a shelf 12 of any width. At the end of rod 93 is an L-shaped bracket 1110 which passes underneath the shelf 12 and has a suitable clamp 102 at the end thereof to clamp the rod 93 and channel member 92 to the shelf 12. Thus, the stand 80 and rod 14 is held fixedly in place by the clamp 102.

A hole 106 and a longitudinally extending slot 108 are formed in rod 98 and channel member 92 respectively. A wing nut 110 and bolt 112 passing through hole 166 and slot 108 lock bar 98 and channel member 92 in position in accordance with the width of the shelf 12.

The stand 80 is pivotly connected to the channel mem ber 92 by bolt 88 and wing nut 96 so that angle of the rod 14 can vary with variations in the angle of the back board 164 of the shelf 12. The wing nut 96 formed on the side of stand 80 opposite from channel member 92 allows for easy tightening and untightening of the bolt 38. Further, the lock washers 93 insure that the stand 86 will remain in a fixed angular position after the wing nut as has been tightened.

The angle of the back board 104 is usually only a slight angular differential from the vertical, but as the back board 1114 is useful in giving additional support to the stand 86, it is helpful to have the stand 86 flush with the back board 164. The legs 34 and 86 will always be touching the shelf to give side support to the display apparatus.

it should also be noted that by utilizing both the back board 104 and the items on the shelf as additional means for supporting the rod 14, there has been little need for providing a large support which would take valuable space on the shelf. The channel member 92 in addition to acting as a support for the stand and rod 14 acts as a separator on the shelf separating one group of items from another.

Since only the clamp 162 need be opened to move the display apparatus 16 from one position on a shelf to another on the same shelf, the apparatus is extremely versatilc. Further, the number and type of display cards which can be placed on the rod 14 is almost infinite because of the variety of display card holders which are included thereon.

In FIGURE 5, there is shown a second type of support 86 for supporting rod 14. Rod 14 has not been shown in full in FIGURE 5 as it is the same as that described and shown in FIGURE 1.

The support 80 has a bifurcated hinge portion 114 at the bottom end thereof. The support 86 is rotatably secured to a flat support plate 116 having an upwardly extending portion 113. Portion 118 is intended to pass between the bifurcations 114. The portion 118 and the bifurcations 114 have a hole therethrough through which passes a bolt 129 secured at its opposite end by a wing nut 122. Suitable lock washers are provided so that when the bolt 126 is tightened by the wing nut 122, there can be no rotation between the support 86' and the bottom support 116.

The bottom support 116 has an upstanding bolt 124 thereon. A clamping plate 126 is placed over the support 116. The clamping plate 126 has a longitudinally extending slot 128 therein through which passes the bolt 124. A suitable wing nut 136 locks the clamping plate 126 in place with respect to support plate 116.

The clamping plate 126 has an integral L-shaped extension 132 which clamps the entire support unit including clamping plate 126 and support plate 116 to the shelf 12. A clamp screw 134 locks the unit in place.

This support for the display apparatus takes up no space on the shelf as items may be placed thereon. The extremely flat support still has the advantages of use with all widths of shelves and additionally gives lateral support for the rod 14 due to the width of the support plate 116.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. Display apparatus comprising a rod adapted to mount a plurality of display card holders, a support for said rod, means pivotly securing one end of said rod to one end of said support, said last-mentioned means being additionally operative to lock said rod in a predetermined angular position with respect to said support, a clamp fixed to a second end of said support opposite from said one end of said support, said clamp extending at an angle to said support substantially opposite from the angle of said rod with respect to said support, said support having telescoping parts to adjust the distance between said support one end and said support second end.

2. Display apparatus comprising a rod, display card holders secured to said rod, a support for said rod, means pivotally securing one end of said rod to one end of said support, said last mentioned means being additionally operative to lock said rod in a predetermined angular position with respect to said support, a clamp fixed to a second end of said support opposite from said one end of said support, said clamp extending at an angle to said support substantially opposite from the angle of said rod with respect to said support, said support having telescoping parts to adjust the distance between said support one end and said support second end, said rod having rectangular cross section, said display card holders including a first pair of channel members secured to one side of said rod, said first pair of channel members including an upper downwardly open channel member and a lower upwardly open channel member, a second pair of channel members secured to a second side of said rod adjacent said first channel member side, said second pair of channel members including an upper downwardly open channel member spaced above said first upper channel member and a lower upwardly open channel member spaced below said first lower channel member, said first pair of channel members extending beyond said adjacent side a distance equal to the thickness of said second pair of channel members.

3. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rod has a first pair of holes passing through opposite sides thereof spaced from said second pair of channel members, said first pair of holes being in a first horizontal plane, said rod having a second pair of holes passing through a second pair of opposite parallel sides perpendicular to said first pair of opposite parallel sides, said second pair of holes being in a second horizontal plane spaced immediately below said first horizontal plane whereby first and second dowels may be placed through said first and second pairs of holes respectively to support display cards in four perpendicular directions thereon.

4. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rod is hollow and of rectangular cross section, a top insert, said top insert being rectangular in cross section and fitting within the hollow end of said rod opposite from said support, said insert having at least one slot therein, said insert slot extending from the free end of said insert to said holow end of said rod whereby said hollow end of said rod forms a support for display cards placed in said insert slot.

5. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein said support includes a fiat plate, said flat plate having an upwardly extending portion centrally located along one edge thereof, said means pivotly securing said one end of said rod to one end of said support securing said portion to said one end of said rod, said last-rnentioned means including a bolt passing through aligned holes in said one end of said rod and said portion, said last-mentioned means additionally including lock washers between said one end of said rod and said portion and means for tightening said bolt to lock said rod in the predetermined angular position with respect to said portion.

6. The display apparatus of claim 5 wherein said flat support plate includes an upstanding vertical member, said support additionally including a clamping plate having a longitudinally extending slot therein, said upstanding member fitting into said clamping plate slot, said clamping plate being telescopically movable with respect to said flat support plate, said upstanding member having threads thereon, and a nut for threadably engaging said upstanding member to hold said flat support plate fixed with respect to said clamping plate.

7. The display apparatus of claim 1 wherein said support includes a fiat channel member having inturned flanges for receiving a telescoping support rod therein, said means pivotly securing said one end of said rod to said one end of said support including a bolt passing through one end of said flat channel member and said one end of said rod, said channel member having a fiat surface thereof against one side of said one end of said rod with said channel member flanges extending outwardly therefrom, said telescoping rod integrally connected to said clamp, and laterally supporting legs extending outwardly from and fixedly secured to said rod, said laterally supporting legs being in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the flat side of said channel member.

8. Display apparatus comprising a rod, display card holders secured to said rod, a support for said rod, said rod being of rectangular cross section, said display card holders including a first pair of channel members secured to one side of said rod, said first pair of channel members including an upper downwardly open channel member and a lower upwardly open channel member, a second pair of channel members secured to a second side of said rod adjacent said first channel member side, said second pair of channel members including an upper downwardly open channel member spaced above said first upper channel member and a lower upwardly open channel member spaced below said first lower channel member, said first pair of channel members extending beyond said adjacent side a distance equal to the thickness of said second pair of channel members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,800,732 7/1957 Duran 4011 3,008,254 11/1961 Smith 4011 3,081,568 3/1963 Smith 40-11 X EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

JEROME SCHNALL, Examiner. 

1. DISPLAY APPARATUS COMPRISING A ROD ADAPTED TO MOUNT A PLURALITY OF DISPLAY CARD HOLDERS, A SUPPORT FOR SAID ROD, MEANS PIVOTAL SECURING ONE END OF SAID ROD TO ONE END OF SAID SUPPORT, SAID LAST-MENTIONED MEANS BEING ADDITIONAL OPERATIVE TO LOCK SAID ROD IN A PREDETERMINED ANGULAR POSITON WITH RESPECT TO SAID SUPPORT, A CLAMP FIXED TO A SECOND END OF SAID SUPPORT OPPOSITE FROM SAID ONE END OF SAID SUPPORT, SAID CLAMP EXTENDING AT AN ANGLE TO SAID SUPPORT SUBSTANTIALLY OPPOSITE FROM THE 